Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-11-27
Xxx.

CHAPTER Xxx.
'ShsIl I see you again?" she asked, az
she held out her hand to take leave. "It
is quite understood between us, / suppose,
about the play?"
Francis recalled his extraordinay
Of that evening in
the remembered oom my stay
in Venice is uncertain" he re,
piled. "If you have anything more to say
about this dramatic venture of yours it
may be as well to say it now. Have you
decided on a subject already? I know the
public taste in England better than you do
Il might save you some waste of time and
trouble, if you have not chosen your sub,
ject wisely"
IT don't are what subject l write about
so long as / write" she answered careless
liz. 'sIf you have got a subject in your
head give it to me. answer for the char
acters and the dialogue"
''You answer for the characters and the
dialogue" Francis repeated. That's a
bold way of speaking for a beginner! L
wonder if / could shake your sublime con-
fdence in yourself if / suggested the most
ticklish subject to handle which is known
to the stage? What do you say, countess,
to entering the lists with Shakespeare and
trying a drama with a ghost in it. A true
story, mind! founded on events In this
very city, in which you and are inter
ested."
She caught him by the arm and drew
him away from the colonnade into the
solitary middle space of the square. Now
tell me. she said eagerly. Here, where
nobody is near us. How an l interested
in it? How? how?"
Still holding his arm she shook him in
her impatience to hear the coming disclos-
ure. For a moment he hesitated. Thus
far, amused by her ignorant belief in her
self, he had merely spoken in jest. Now,
for the first time, impressed by her IRE
sistible earnestness, he began to consider
what he was about from a more serious
point O fview. With her knowledge of all
that had passed in the old palace, before
its transformation into a hotel, 1t was sure
ly possible that they might suggest some
explanation of what had happened to his
brother and sister and himself. Or, failing
to do that, she might accidentally reveal
some event in her own experience, which,
acting as a hint to a competent dramatist,
might prove to be the making of the play.
The prosperity of his theatre was his one
serious object in life. 81 may be on the
track of another 'Corsican Brothers," he
thought. "Anew piece of that sort would
be $40, 900 in my pocket at least"
With these motives (worthy of the sim
gle hearted devotion to dramatic business
which made Francis a successful manager
he related without hesitation what his own
experience had been, and what the exper-
fence of his relatives had been, in the
haunted hotel. He even described the out
break of superstitious terror which had eS-
capped Mrs. NOrbury's ignorant maid.
Sad stuff, if you look at it reasonably"
he remarked. ''But there is something
dramatic in the notion of the ghostly in
fuence making itself felt by the relations
in succession, as they one after another en-
ter the fatal rOOm-until the n chosen
+ elative III who will see the unearthly
creature and know the terrible truth.
Material for a play, countess-6rst rate
material for a play"
There he paused. She neither moved
nor spoke. He stopped and looked closer
o her.
What impression had he produced? 1t
was an impression which bis utmost inge-
nuity had failed to anticipate. She stood
by bis side-just as she stood before Agnes
when her question about Ferrari was
plainly answered at lsst-like a woman
turned to stone. Her eyes were vacant
and rigid; all the life in her face had faded
out of it. Francis took her by the hand.
Her hand was as cold as the pavement
they were standing on. He asked her if
she was i'll.
Not a muscle in her moved. He might
as well have spoken to the dead.
Surely" he said, 'you are not foolish
enough to take what l have been telling
you seriously?'
Her lips moved slowly. As it seemed,
she wa making an effort to speak to him.
Louder" he said, 81 can't hear you"
She struggled to recover possession OF
herself. A faint light began to soften the
dull, cold stare of her eyes. In a moment
more she spoke so that he could hear her.
II never thought OF the other world"
she murnured, in low, dull tones like a
woman talking in her sleep.
Her mind had gone back to the day OF
her last memorable interview with Agnes;
she was slowly recalling the confession that
had escaped her, the warning words which
she had spoken at that past time. Neces-
sarily incapable of understanding this,
Francis looked at her in perplexity. She
went on in the same dull, vacant tone,
steadily following put her OWL train Of
thought with her needless eyes on his face,
and her wandering mind far away from
him.
81 said some trifing event would bring
us together the next time. / was wrong.
No trifiing event will bring US together.
l said 1 might be the person who told her
what had become Of Ferrari, if she forced
me to it. Shall / feel some other influence
than hers? Will he force me to itP When
she sees him shall l see him tooP"
Her head sunk q little, her heavy eye
lids dropped slowly, she heaved a long,
low, weary sigh. Francis put her arm, in
his, and made an attempt to rouse her.
Come, countess, you are weary and
overweight. We have bad enough talk
ing tonight. Let me see you safe back to
your hotel. Is it far from here!'
She started when he moved and obliged
her to move with him, as if he had sud
denly awakened her out Of a deep sleep.
Not far" she said, family. "Tbe old
hotel on the quay. My minds in a strange
state; 1 have forgotten the name"
"DaDiel's?"
''Yes!r
He led her on slowly. She accompanied
him in silence as far as the end of the Pia
zetta. There when the full view of the
moonlit Lagoon revealed itself, she stopped
him as he turned toward the Riva degli
Schiayoni. 81 have something to ask you.
1 want to wait and think"
She recovered her lost idea after a long
pause.
"Are you going to sleep in the room to-
night?" she asked.
He told her that another traveller was in
possession of the room that night. "But
the manager has reserved il for me to-
morrow" he added, 'if l wish to. have
it,"
'rNo," she said; you must giveit up"
ITO wbom?'
''To me-"
He started. "After what 1 have told You
do you really wish to Neep in that room to-
morrow night?"
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